From the fraught world of geopolitics to business and the academy, it’s more vital than ever that Westerners and East Asians understand how each other thinks. As Jin Li shows in this groundbreaking work, the differences run deep. Li explores the philosophical origins of the concept of self in both cultures and synthesizes her findings with cutting-edge psychological research to reveal a fundamental contrast. Westerners tend to think of the self as being, as a stable entity fixed in time and place. East Asians think of the self as relational and embedded in a process of becoming. The differences show in our intellectual traditions, our vocabulary, and our grammar. They are even apparent in our politics: the West is more interested in individual rights and East Asians in collective wellbeing. Deepening global exchanges may lead to some blurring and even integration of these cultural tendencies, but research suggests that the basic self-models, rooted in long-standing philosophies, are likely to endure. The Self in the West and East Asia is an enriching and enlightening account of a crucial subject at a time when relations between East and West have moved center-stage in international affairs.

Gale Researcher Guide for: Self-Strengthening Movements in East Asia and the Pacific is selected from Gale's academic platform Gale Researcher. These study guides provide peer-reviewed articles that allow students early success in finding scholarly materials and to gain the confidence and vocabulary needed to pursue deeper research.

This book explores the crisis of cultural identity which has assaulted Asian countries since Western countries began to have a profound impact on Asia in the nineteenth century. Confronted by Western 'civilization' and by 'modernity', Asian countries have been compelled to rethink their identity, and to consider how they should relate to Western 'civilization' and 'modernity'. The result, the author argues, has been a redefining by Asian countries of their own character as nations, and an adaptation of 'civilization' and 'modernity' to their own special conditions. Asian nations, the author contends, have thereby engaged with the West and with modernity, but on their own terms, occasionally, and in various inconsistent ways in which they could assert a sense of difference, forcing changes in the Western concept of civilization. Drawing on postmodern theory, the Kyoto School, Confucian and other traditional Asian thought, and the actual experiences of Asian countries, especially China and Japan, the author demonstrates that Asian countries' redefining of the concept of civilization in the course of their quest for an appropriate postmodern national identity is every bit as key a part of 'the rise of Asia' as economic growth or greater international political activity.

East Asia is widely regarded as the main "winner" in contemporary globalization, unscathed by the economic crisis of 2008, with its leading new industrializing nations and emerging economies. While 20th-century globalization was mainly led by the West, the 21st century is ushering in different dynamics. The re-emergence of Asia involves alternative visions of the world and different perspectives on globalization. This volume seeks to address these dimensions, turning to local reflexivities, notably in South Korea and China, to explore the key debates in sociology and political economy within East Asia rather than from an outside view.

This cutting edge collection presents a political reading of the power of modern sport in Asia. Providing an interdisciplinary study of political and cultural tensions in Asia, past and present, through the key case-study of sport, it illuminates the complex practices and legacies of Japanese imperialism across East and Southeast Asia through the 20th century and beyond. Focusing on the deep background to contemporary dynamics of intraregional tensions, it examines sport both as a tool of imperialism and as an agent of reconciliation as the region gears up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Offering a unique contribution to East Asian Studies, Colonial and Postcolonial Studies and Sport Studies, this work represent key reading for students and scholars of East Asian studies, International Politics and Sports Diplomacy.

For decades, historians and societal forces have campaigned for rapprochement, reconciliation and dialogue between East Asian nations. This book is a result of these efforts. Debates regarding the interpretation of the modern history of East Asia continue to affect bilateral relations between the states of the region. History education has become a particularly controversial issue in this context. This book’s main message is that a common understanding regarding the history of East Asia is possible, even though some differences remain. It is not only a major contribution to reconciliation in the region, but as the first textbook on the history of East Asia written collaboratively by scholars from three East Asian countries, it is also highly recommended for use in an anglophone teaching environment. The authors are a group of historians, teachers and concerned citizens from China, Japan and South Korea.

Race and Racism in Modern East Asia juxtaposes Western racial constructions of East Asians with constructions of race and their outcomes in modern East Asia. This groundbreaking volume also offers an analysis of these constructions, their evolution and their interrelations.

The modern trajectory of Middle Eastern–East Asian interactions has garnered very little scholarly attention and scrutiny. The two-way connection between both regions have witnessed a litany of activities and developments over the past several decades, but such dynamics are yet to be investigated sufficiently in tandem with their overall impacts on the world’s safety and well-being. Aiming to fill part of this acute research gap, East Asia’s Strategic Advantage in the Middle East concentrates primarily on different aspects of East Asia’s modern relationship with the Middle East by turning the spotlight on strategic advantages of East Asian countries in critical areas in the region. Over the past several years, there have been a slew of talks and debates about the formation of strategic ties between the East Asian states and their counterparts across the Middle East region. However, East Asia's advantage of strategic nature has been there for decades, shaping the contours of an increasingly multifaceted chain of interactions involving the two sides. The more other stakeholders , Western powers in particular, made serious attempts to secure their precious assets in the Middle East, the larger East Asia's strategic advantage in the region grew.

East Asia is normally identified as a group of countries lying along the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, but scholars have begun thinking about a East Asia that is a community rather than a set of sovereign states. This book looks at East Asia from a Northeast Asian perspective.